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THERE is something about the start of December – advent calendars get rolled out, Christmas trees put up and there’s just a general sense of excitement.
I must admit to be a bit of a gift giver by nature, too. So, the festive period brings a whole host of opportunities to spoil friends and loved ones.
Speaking of gifts. I can’t start this good news newsletter without talking about Scotland qualifying for next year’s World Cup.
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That dramatic 4-2 win against Denmark on November 18 is still inked into my memory. I can remember the enormous pangs of anxiety throughout but, most of all, the celebrations – myself and my wee brother bouncing about my living room after Scott McTominay’s bicycle kick, Kieran Tierney’s curler into the bottom left corner and Kenny Maclean’s gargantuan goal from the halfway line. Bring on 2026.
Onto some other positive news – an entire Scottish village has been invited to the Austrian capital by its tourism board.
Residents of Dull, in Perthshire, have all received wax-sealed invitations from the Vienna tourist board – along with Viennese goodie bags.
The town, which has around 100 residents, is paired with Boring in Oregon, in the United States. Hilarious.
The Austrian tourist board said it wanted "to bring Dull to Vienna" in January after the festive period "to show how vibrant this season can be".
They will stay at the iconic Hotel Imperial, which has previously hosted the Rolling Stones and the late Queen Elizabeth.
I also loved this story about how Scotland and Taiwan are developing "enriching" links thanks to a partnership between universities .
The annual conference of the Taiwan-UK University Consortium (TUKUC) took place at the University of Edinburgh last month, where academics were able to exchange ideas and develop links between the two countries.
Meanwhile, “Scottish salmon” has won protected status across the European Union .
It means that only salmon raised in the coastal region of mainland Scotland, Western Isles, Orkney, and Shetland Isles, can be sold as “Scottish salmon” in the EU – which the industry body says will help to protect Scottish products for sale across the European bloc.
In other food news, cheese from Scotland has gone on sale in Spain for the first time.
A deal involving the Scottish Dairy Growth Board, Scottish Development International and Spanish importer Iber Conseil – backed with £20,000 of investment from the UK Government’s Brand Scotland scheme – is helping Scottish cheese makers to sell their produce in Spain.
To finish up, a big win for a speakeasy in Edinburgh – Panda & Sons has taken the top spot on the 2025 Top 500 Bars list ie. it has been named the best in the world!
The announcement was made last month at a ceremony in Florence, Italy, where the global bar community gathered to celebrate the very best in hospitality.
Congrats to them!
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